Indications for Sputum Culture in the Community Setting
November 25, 2024
Sputum culture is in general a low value microbiology test, where the vast majority of results do not change patient management. We analysed 3200 sputum samples between July 2023 and June 2024. The results are illustrated in the pie chart below. In summary, only 6% of the total samples grew a respiratory pathogen that was resistant to amoxycillin. Only 0.7% of the sample cohort grew a respiratory…
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Skin Prick Testing - No Longer Available at Pathlab Taupo
November 18, 2024
Skin prick testing is a specialised test to detect specific IgE antibodies to a range of allergens. The accuracy of the skin prick test is highly dependent on the expertise and experience of the individual performing it. There are a number of variables that can influence the result given it is an in-vivo test, unlike highly controlled in-vitro testing, and significant inter-operator variability…
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HCG Tumour Marker Testing
September 26, 2024
From 1st October 2024, Pathlab will begin testing HCG tumour marker requests. Pathlab uses a Beckman Coulter analyser while Waikato Hospital Laboratory uses a Roche analyser for hCG testing. Both of these hCG assays are validated as tumour marker hCG assays1. Historically, all requests for tumour marker hCG were to be referred to Waikato hospital to ensure the same assay is used for monitoring…
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Post Vasectomy Semen Analysis
September 09, 2024
Effective Monday 9th of September, we will be working in accordance with the 2016 British Andrology Society laboratory guidelines for post-vasectomy semen analysis. 2016 PVSA Guidelines This will see a change to only performing a direct microscopy and proceed with a sperm count when only non-motile sperm are seen. There will be no centrifuged spun deposit examination. As with our current seminal…
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STI Screening e-order tab
August 06, 2024
Over recent months we have seen increasing instances of STI associated e-ordering leading to incorrect specimen collected, incorrect testing, and the need for specimen recollects. Investigation has shown the underlying causes to be multifactorial but one of the primary causes has been the inability to request chlamydia/gonorrhoea/trichomonas testing from multiple body sites at the same time. After…
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